Golf: Italian might be just the heir for Spanish legend

Senor Ballesteross would have been proud of Signor Manassero. If anybody sums up the legacy the Spanish great would have loved to have left the Seve Trophy with, it is surely this stunning young Italian.

There have been more fake heirs to Ballesteros than there were to Henry VIII. But this boy wonder plays like Seve did, swaggers like Seve did, pays absurd disregard to age barriers like Seve did - and the way in which the 18-year-old threw his ball into the lake on the 18th on the first day, and then how he responded, shows he takes it as personally as Seve did, too.

Matteo Manassero is a Ryder Cup natural the only question is how soon he makes his debut. Lee Westwood has a slight doubt if Manassero will qualify for Chicago next year - "he's too young, isn't he?" - while Ian Poulter has another theory.

"The thing with Matteo is that he may be only 18 but he is so very consistent," said the Englishman. "You can see him racking up enough points to qualify for 2012."

Certainly the youngest player to win on the European Tour has the spirit. Seve would disagree, but perhaps Manassero has too much spirit. As his ball went splash and his visor went down for the first time on tour he looked his age.

"I had to speak with him in the locker room afterwards for 45 minutes," said Jean Van de Velde, the Continental team captain. "Then Jose Maria Olazabal spoke to him."

At least some of the talk was digested. After recovering from the last-gasp agony to Darren Clarke and David Horsey - when Manassero's long putt to halve the match was two rolls too short - he and his partner, Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, beat Ross Fisher and Scott Jamieson by two holes.

What was most impressive was the steel they displayed.

"They were three-up with four to play and were only one up with two to play. They finished with a birdie, another birdie and won their game. Matteo is going to be around for many Seve Trophies and many Ryder Cups," said Van de Velde.

The Continentals lost the fourball opening 4-1, then won the next session to pull up to 5-4 down. The comeback means Paul McGinley's Great Britain and Ireland team had a nervous advantage.

With four foursomes and four greensomes followed by 10 singles tonight, the competition begins for real now. And with so many rookies on McGinley's roster the next two days will make for intriguing viewing - Manassero's matches especially.

- INDEPENDENT